George W. Plunkitt’s Income

“Why do you think Plunkitt was so open about how he made his money?”

George Washington Plunkitt, a politician of Tammany Hall, made his money by honest graft, which he described as the following. “I get tipped off about some near-future public work. Say, a park. I buy up the land they’ll need and then sell it to them at a higher price. This is honest graft.”

I believe that because Plunkitt was by no means ashamed this, he spoke it loudly, and proudly, to everyone he met. Also, I believe that he thought this was the best way to make a living in politics, not by “book learnin’.” Therefore, he wanted people to have an example to follow.